The present invention relates to an apparatus for automatically but delayedly lifting a toilet seat.
Due to laziness, a user of a toilet usually does not lift a toilet seat after the use of the toilet seat. Furthermore, when a male urinates into a toilet on which the toilet seat was not lifted, the toilet seat is very likely be polluted or fouled. To solve these problems, there are many apparatuses known in the art to provide an automatically lifted toilet seat.
Generally, the known apparatuses for automatically lifting a toilet seat can be classified into the following categories:
1. Spring type: an apparatus of this type mainly makes use of the resilience of springs to lift the toilet seat when a user gets off the toilet seat. However,the operation of an apparatus of this type is very likely to deteriorate with the deterioration of the resilience and other fatigue of the springs used therein.
2. Lifting weight type: an apparatus of this type mainly makes use of two lifting weights on pivot shafts in association with connecting rods and wires automatically lift the toilet seat. An apparatus of this type, however, has the following disadvantages:
1) The apparatus is difficult to assemble due to the use of the connecting rods and wires and the relatively large mass of the lifting weights necessary in order to lift the toilet seat weights should have relatively large mass because they are so close to the pivots; and PA1 2) Since the toilet seat will be automatically lifted at any time, the apparatus inconveniences a user, because the user has to use his hand to press the toilet seat until she or he sits on the toilet seat. PA1 1) Since the pivot shaft is at the upper part of the central portion of the rear end of the toilet, the fluid chambers for the torque are between the pivot shaft and a water tank where space is very limited, because the rear end of the toilet seat cannot extend outwardly from the tank too much and, in order to create sufficient torque for lifting the toilet seat with the resulting short lever arm the toilet seat of this type is uneconomic to manufacture; PA1 2) When the toilet seat is lifting, the flowing of the fluid very likely causes the seat to oscillate left and right. Even if the toilet seat has lifting weights at both lateral sides, it still cannot attain sufficient balance to prevent oscillation when it is lifted and besides, the two lifting weights symmetrically on the lateral sides of the toilet seat make it uneconomic to manufacture; and PA1 3) Since the rear end of the toilet seat of this type is very large, it is very possible that it cannot be installed on a toilet due to the location of the toilet or its water tank. Besides, the original toilet seat must be replaced, which is uneconomic.
3) Fluid lifting type: an apparatus of this type mainly provides three fluid chambers integratedly formed within a toilet seat so that fluid can flow to create a torque about a pivot shaft of the toilet seat to automatically delayedly lift the toilet seat. An apparatus of this type, however, has the following disadvantages: